With only a few hours until the new year, Detroit's oldest police station, Precinct 13, is about to close forever. Only a skeleton crew of officers are on duty for New Year's Eve, including Sergeant Jake Roenick, veteran officer Jasper, secretary Iris, and psychiatrist Alex.

Happy New Year moviegoers. The studios have just sent you the best film of the new year, ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13, a thrilling remake that is a complete throwback of a picture right down to its old movie music. It's New Year's too, or almost, at police precinct number 13, where the skeletal crew is partying the night away since their old precinct will be given its Last Rites at the stroke of midnight, as they will be moving from this dilapidated building to a sleek modern one.

Director Jean-François Richet keeps our adrenaline pumping -- and the laughs coming, to relieve the constant tension. James DeMonaco, writer of the taut thriller, THE NEGOTIATOR, shares screenwriting credits with John Carpenter, who is mentioned for earlier work on the 1976 movie.

The setup has big bad guy Marion Bishop being transported to a different jail when his bus has to make a sudden change of venue due to an impenetrable blizzard. Bishop and a collection of criminal lowlifes, including Smiley (Jeffrey "Ja Rule" Atkins) and Beck (John Leguizamo), are diverted to Precinct 13 to spend the night in a warm jail cell. In one of his best performances in some time, Laurence Fishburne lends an ice cold charisma to the role of Bishop, a killer whose eyes can sear like lasers.

The rag-tag crew at the precinct is "led" by Jake Roenick (Ethan Hawke), a sergeant who is awash in self pity after losing his entire squad several months back while in charge of an undercover team. Pills and booze are his current poison of choice to dull his pain. He has the hots for his police appointed shrink, Dr. Alex Sabian (Maria Bello), who does not yield to his advances. Currently in her party dress, she ends up getting stuck at the police station after her car refuses to start. Also at the station is Officer Jasper O'Shea (Brian Dennehy), who announces that his New Year's resolution is an immediate retirement.

As the title tells you, the movie will be about an assault on the precinct, as an increasingly large group of men come after Bishop. These men, who are equipped with night scopes and high tech weaponry, think their mission will be easy, but the sergeant takes a risk and arms everyone with guns from the dusty old store room, including an ancient and hilarious Tommy gun. As the two sides slowly annihilate each other, the body count rises and our enjoyment increases as we root for the good guys and the bad guys by their side to take out the other side like a shoot out at the O.K. Corral. After plenty of twists and ample laughter, this energetic movie finally reaches its obvious conclusion. But who cares. It sure was a ride.

ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 runs a fast 1:49. It is rated R for "strong violence and language throughout, and for some drug content" and would be acceptable for teenagers.

My son Jeffrey, age 15, really liked the picture, giving it *** 1/2. He had nothing but praise, saying it has high action, suspense, excitement and fun. His friend Dustin, also 15, gave it *** 1/2, saying that it was really good.